Return to Vietnam 2005 by john_94904
Oct 11, '05 12:00 AM
Photos #: 26
http://msn-john_94904.multiply.com
Tags: John Reynolds' (3rd Plt 69-70) bicycle trip, March 2005, fom Hanoi to the Chinese border and back by way of Dien Bien Phu and south through Hue, Danang and Saigon, with a side trip to our old AO, including Dong Ha, Cam Lo, Con Thien.

"1 — Hanoi (!), first day.jpg","None given"
"2 — Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.jpg","None given"
"3 — Our soon-to-be dinner.jpg","Did you know you can make a 10-course meal out of a cobra? Eating it is another story. Definitely a one-time only experience"
"4 — Bicycle buddies at Ho Chi Minh's tomb.jpg","None given"
"5 — A fine example of Hanoi architecture.jpg","A surprisingly beautiful city"
"6 — Please buy my stuff.jpg","None given"
"7 — Some of the Red Zao tribe.jpg","Our second day of mountain climbing, starting in Sapa (4,500 ft) going over the highest mountain pass in Vietnam at over 7,000 feet (and where it was 35 degress F (!) and blowing hard) on down to Tam Duong."
"8 — Some girls from one of 53 ethnic groups - probably Black Hmong.jpg","They blacken their teeth on purpose. Evidnetly turns these babes into real guy magnets."
"9 — Typical terrain in Northwest Vietnam.jpg","None given"
"10 — Really, they dress this way every day.jpg","None given"
"11 — NVA vet and USA vet in friendlier times.jpg","This was a highlight for me. The guy (just to my right) invited me to join him and his buddy in his hut. Very hospitable and a nice stop. Though limited by the ""French"" we used and his reticence about his involvement in the war, his tunic and age spoke said it all."
"12 — Another valley NW Vietnam.jpg","One of countless descents after climbs totalling 25,000 feet"
"13 — mountain tribe women -- Flower Hmong?.jpg","None given"
"14 — village near Laos.jpg","None given"
"15 — hanging out with our tribe.jpg","None given"
"16 — Rt 1 from Hue to Dong Ha - 2005.jpg","Tried to locate where LZ Nancy had been, but no luck. With the help of our official guide (and my recollection), we were able to guess -- but that's the best we could do as everything is pretty much overgrown now."
"17 — ""chuc mung chi em"".jpg","At the Dong Ha Hotel with ladies getting an early start to their celebration of Vietnam Women's Day as we head out to check out the new and updated Con Thien. My companions were former F-4 pilot and Navy surgeon, respectively (now both civilian docs)."
"18 — Con Thien today.jpg","from inside the old perimeter. These old bases have been picked clean of anything metal."
"19 — JR at Con Thien, 36 years later.jpg","Our guide was very strict: Stay on the path!! Since the end of the war 7,000 Vietnamese have been killed by ordnance left around since then -- just around the DMZ area. We found only one person living there, a farmer. His hut was right next to an unexploded bomb."
"20 — The ""new"" bridge.jpg","The local village (outside Hue) had built this bridge to replace the one bombed in the war. Families took turns collecting tolls. Ours was about 2 cents per bicycle."
"21 — The Citadel, Hue.jpg","None given"
"22 — Another valley.jpg","None given"
"23 — school kids outside of Danang.jpg","None given"
"24 — Hoi An shop.jpg","None given"
"25 — Saigon post office.jpg","None given"
"26 — JR, Sticks, JC Hunt, Smokey, Nick 36 yrs earlier.jpg","None given"